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Defining Beauty 7 the most symmetrical faces, these researchers found that these symmetrical faces were the highest rated among diverse participants, regardless of the race of the individual in the photograph or the race of the rater. In a quest for ultimate symmetry, Rotem Kowner from the Hebrew Uni- versity mirrored one side of an individual’s face hoping to achieve perfection. The results, surprisingly, did not reveal a perfectly beautiful face, and the per- fectly symmetrical mirrored image actually received lower ratings than the unsymmetrical alternative. The reason for the decline in ratings of attrac- tiveness was that blemishes and deviations were also mirrored. These blem- ishes were a signal of imperfect youth and health. However, when multiple faces were merged into one photo, or averaged, the resulting image became more and more symmetrical (individual blemishes and asymmetries were av- eraged and essentially eliminated), and the resulting images were rated as more and more attractive. The preference for these more average faces was cross-cultural and emerged in studies with North American, Britain, Austra- lian, Japanese, and African hunter-gatherer participants. Research shows that facial symmetry can be used as a generally accurate indicator of overall health and developmental stability, and average faces tend to be more symmetrical. Marked asymmetries reveal disease, genetic deficiencies, accidents, or otherwise poor health. Symmetrical faces, on the other hand, indicate good health, stable development, and high genetic quality. Thus, humans have evolved to find symmetrical faces to be more attractive and are more inclined to pursue a symmetrical individual for repro- ductive efforts. Average faces, similarly, denote a diverse genetic code that is made up of diverse traits that create a more attractive face. For this reason, averageness and symmetry tend to be linked because average faces tend to be more symmetrical and are therefore rated to be more attractive. However, an interesting exception is found for the most attractive faces. Although averageness tends to be highly correlated with and predictive of the ratings of attractiveness, the most attractive faces are actually those that are not average but those that are made up of highly distinctive features. Unfortunately, having distinctive features is just as likely to make others rate an individual as highly unattractive as they are to create a uniquely attrac- tive face. Therefore, average faces are more likely to be considered attractive than those with distinctive features, but the exact right combination of dis- tinctive features can produce an even more attractive individual. For example, in most studies across the field of attractiveness, females rate average male faces as more attractive than male faces with distinctive fea- tures. Composite faces (those made by blending multiple male faces) are rated as more attractive than any of the component photos. In addition to average- ness, masculinity also impacts the ratings of attractiveness. Males with strong brow lines and prominent jaws are rated as more dominant, masculine, and